After a whirlwind Easter Break, my students and I return to lessons this week (the final leg before June). This month, I am whisking them away - musically - to India.

The sitar weaves an exotic melody against the backdrop of the tabla. Our featured artist, Anoushka Shankar, is considered a leading figure in World Music today. Her early music training was in Indian classical music, under the tutelage of her father Ravi Shankar. Shankar is a composer as well, exploring crossover music, e.g. Indian music and flamenco or electronica. A Grammy nominee, she was the first Indian woman to perform at the Grammy Awards (2006). Anoushka Shankar is also the first female (and the youngest) to receive a House of Commons Shield from the British House of Parliament (1999).